Latin (tem-pu̇s-ˈfü-git): Time Flies
A clear sunny day greets us as we slowly wake up to a new day. The lake is so still and calm that the rhythmic paddling of a solo canoeist roused me from a light sleep. John is making his early rounds of the bay in his red Prospector. I slip away again into sleep.
The kind of sleep where your drifting in and out and time seems to stand still. Minutes seem like hours. Each time you drift away into a dreamland and then emerge back into the real world. Or is it all a dream?
Well, actually it’s the last couple of yards of my bike commute into work.
I ride up a sidewalk, get off the bike, drag it up the stairs and then ride a few more yards to the bike rack.
Since the snow has been gone I’ve been thinking about this phase of the ride a lot. There is a nice concrete ramp on the side of the stairs. I’m a good rider. I think I can hop up on the ramp and ride up saving myself the time and effort of dismounting, schlepping the bike up the stairs, getting back on and riding that last little bit. It would be easy. I’d save time. It would be a challenge.
A couple of days ago, I gave it a try. 3/4 of the way up I drop of the ramp onto the grass. Not a bad first effort. The next day I approach with more confidence. Eyes straight ahead, look where you want to go, keep peddling smoothly. Success! I nail it right up the ramp and off the end and over to the bike rack.
Today, I’m really confident. I ride by a fellow cyclist at the nearby door and chat briefly on the fly and launch up the ramp. The approach is not very smooth, I’m not focused and suddenly I’m off the ramp and onto the steps. The front wheel ploughs into a step, the bike stops instantly, and I do a slo-mo over the handlebars onto the concrete. Embarrassed, but not too hurt except for a banged up knee and a scrape on the hip, I pick myself up and park the bike.
I’m sure next time will be better.
His bumper was a foot away from me on the bike and he wasn’t slowing down or changing direction, that kind of “close call”.
In over a year of cycle commuting this was only the 2nd close call and potentially the most dangerous. The 1st one was on Des Meurons where a lady pulled out of a back lane turning left and swung way over into my lane cutting me off bad enough that I had to hammer to a full stop. I thought she was going to hit the curb or go right over it! I saw it coming, but still no fun.
Tuesday morning I was heading into work early and was on the road at about 6:30 am expecting a quiet ride in. I’m just coming off Lomond Blvd. and about to turn right onto Paterson and I see this small off white 1/2 ton truck heading east on Patterson towards me. He’s already crossed the centre line and is cutting the corner like he’s Mario Andretti on a Formula One race course. I’m not exactly small, it’s pre-sunrise but already quite light our and I’ve got a high intensity blinker on the handle bars. I think he’ll see me and move over but no. Next thing I know my wheel is on the curb and his bumper goes by less than a foot away.
I look back and then he slows down and looks back. I can’t really see the person, the windows are tinted and we both carry on. It’s certainty an early morning wake up call. My mistake was assuming he’d see me and change course, a very bad assumption as it turns out. Sadly, it makes you start thinking about every motor vehicle as a threat.
I hope next time I’m quick enough to take more decisive and defensive actions to avoid a close encounter of the painful kind.
Exactly one year ago today I voluntarily gave up my vehicle and committed to a year of cycle commuting to work and living as a single car family.
The Honda Ridgeline was coming off lease and I just decided not to replace it. This saved quite a bit of money not keeping a 2nd vehicle on the road considering insurance, gas, and downtown parking not to mention the cost of the vehicle.
The downside is I miss my truck and every time I see a Ridgeline on the road I think whistfully about the one I had for four years. The up side is probably the great cycling conditioning I get with a mandatory twice daily 30-40 minute workout. With just cycle commuting I’ve logged over 4,000km in the year.
Despite today’s -22°C temperature, winter is winding down and the riding is easier with less snow on the route. I’m looking forward to the mornings where you can just throw on a jersey and pair if shorts and go.
Is there a vehicle in my future? We’ll see. Is there more cycling? For sure!
Winter cycling no longer weird in Winterpeg – Winnipeg Free Press
Two decades later, Winnipeg winters remain almost just as frigid. Yet, seeing Winnipeggers bike to work in February is no longer any weirder than watching a lineup of cars snake out of a Tim Hortons drive-thru.
A lazy start to the day and breakfast at the on site restaurant , The Beach Club, gets us on the road just before noon. We’re going right past the Costco so we swing in that way for gas and unbelievably more shopping. Gas is certainly a deal at almost 25 cents below the typical gas station. However, the Saturday traffic in the area is a zoo. This little stop costs us close to 1 hr in a traffic jam.
Once free of congestion we roll over to Paia and check out a beach noted for boogie boarding and body surfing. The wind is strong and sand is blowing everywhere. This will likely be the starting point for the ride on Monday.
As we head up towards the summit there is one particular turn that we’ve been warned not to miss, but sure enough I blow right through the turn but quickly realize the mistake and turn around. In the car this is no big deal, on the bike it adds up to an additional 1,700′ of climbing to a dead end.
Sure enough the road is an unrelenting “up”. I note only 3 short flat sections. We see about 5 riders going up, two couples and a solo rider in a lime green jacket. I knew about the distance, the grade, the switchbacks, the narrow road in places, the 30°F temperature drop by the time you get to the top, but nobody mentioned the wind! It’s howling today and we have to brace ourselves just to walk around. At one point we spot mister lime green walking his ride. Initially I thought he was tired but later figured out that he was having trouble staying on the bike and on the road in an open section. We later saw him successfully grinding his way up to the summit. I hope it’s less windy when I ride on Monday.
As we’re driving up the scenery goes from uplands cattle grazing ranch country,
to sparse plant growth above the tree line,
and then just volcanic rock.
At Leleiwi, the first of two overlooks, we get our first glimpse of the crater. You have to hike a short distance on a trail and the wind is howling and the temperatures have dropped substantially from the 78F on the beach. Shirley returns to the car and I push on to get a look and take some pictures. I’m rewarded with a spectacular view of the crater and need to hide behind the shelter just to manage to hold steady enough to that the pictures. I intentionally increase the shutter speed just to compensate for getting buffeted around by the wind.
Back in the car we continue up to the summit at Puu Ulaula Overlook (also known as Red Hill). It’s a windy walk up to the shelter but really everybody gets their picture taken under the summit sign.
At the summit you are right next to the Haleakala Obsevatory also known as Science City. Because of the US Airfoce presence here we, not alowed to go over and explore that area.
On the way down we stop at the Visitor Center, just below the summit. It’s already closed at 2pm, (they have really short hours) so we don’t get to see the exhibits, but take quick look around and of course some more photos of the crater.
Further down the road we stop again, this time at the Kalahaku Overlook and get yet another spectacular look at the crater and surrounding areas from a different vantage point.
We wind our way down the Crater Road and take a slightly different route back hoping over to Kula and then back over to Makawao where we stop to take a few pictures of this beautiful church we spotted earlier in the day.
The Makawao Union Church was built in 1916 in memorial of Henry Perrine Baldwin and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Mr. Baldwin must have been quite the force back in the day, a lot of stuff is named after him.
After checking out a couple of dinner options in Paia we decide to find a new guten-free restaurant over in Kihei which is about 45 minutes away. After picking up fish & chips we head back to the condo, another 45 minutes, and enjoy dinner and a movie. Lots exploring, lots of interesting stuff, lots of driving and we’re done for the day.
More Pictures of the Day
Up early again at about 4:45am to get ready ad drive over to the Maalaea Harbour to catch the snorkelling adventure at 6:15am. The 1st part of the adventure was the boat ride to the first site. It was windy and rough and our course had us cutting through the wave trough going sort of with the wind. Within minutes everybody was soaked from the spray breaking over the deck. I was quite glad to be wrapped up in my black jacket I use for cycle commuting. Even with nice temperatures being wet and out in a strong wind had folks huddling under their beach towels.
Unfortunately, due to the wind we didn’t get to go to Molokini or Turtle Town, which was the hype of the advertising (small print, subject to weather conditions, destinations at the captains discretion) . They did their best and went to a couple of sites that were a bit sheltered from the wind. The snorkelling was fun and we saw lots of fish, green sea turtles, a manta ray, and four reef sharks. One of the stops was over a wreck in about 90′ of water. Most of the passengers hopped in to float over the wreck to get a better look. 
The last stop was at an old pier where several 100′ of concrete and steel were taken out by a storm and the sunken remains have become a man made coral reef. Back on the boat for a BBQ lunch and we’re heading back to the harbour Six hours and a sunburn later we’re back in harbour and have a look around at the shops. This location is also home to the Maui Ocean Centre Aquarium which only contains native Hawaiian marine life. The Centre was very well done and quite impressive After the snorkelling and seeing quite a variety of fish were were able to put some names to faces.
Then a drive around Kihei for some casual sight seeing and a stroll on a beach and we’re “done” for the day. On the drive back to the condo we pick up some takeout from Outback and settle in for a relaxing evening. Later a dip in the ocean and/or pool before calling it a day. Tomorrow is a lazier day with a sleep in and brunch at the Beach Club and then a drive up Halalekala to check out the bike route. The 3am start to see the sunrise has been canceled due to the need to dial it back a notch or two and relax a bit more.
Yesterday was the first challenging ride of the winter due to some freezing rain in the early morning. Probably the most challenging part was getting off the driveway! However, the studded snow tires on the bike are awesome compared to the knobby mountain bike tires or the slicker commuter tires I’ve been using up until the first snow fall.
I was cautious for the first few kilometers and then began to feel more confident in the studded tires capabilities. At one stop sign I got a reminder on just how slipery it was when I put my foot down for a full stop and just about wiped out. The Schwalbe Ice Spiker tires are worth every penny, highly recommended.
I recently had the opportunity to have my VO2 Max tested courtesy of the fitness centre at work. Not the testing where you get hooked up by a tube to a machine, but a step test. Three minutes of stepping up on a box from a resting heart rate and then measuring my heart rate at the end and applying some voodoo math to the numbers to come up with a rating.
The rating is compared to a table, one for men and another for women broken out by age ranges. So you can lookup your rating and get an “average”, “good”, etc.
“Excellent” in my age range is anything over 41.
I scored a 44.13.
That’s right, I’m pumped!
Just reading up about training with a power meter for road cycling and ended up on Joe Friel’s blog where he is discussing the issues and challenges of “old” or “aging” athletes. Here is his take on the things that your aging body can do to you.
For the purpose of this discussion let’s say that one is “old” over age 50. By this age it is usually apparent that an athlete is experiencing several life- and performance-altering physical changes: lower levels of testosterone, lost muscle mass, increased risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis (especially in cyclists and swimmers), an increased tendency for acid-base imbalance further contributing to bone and muscle loss, a greater propensity for weight gain, lost soft tissue elasticity with an increased likelihood of injury, reduced enzyme activity, less tolerance for heat, and more. It isn’t pretty.
I’m thinking that “old” is way beyond 50 for sure, but some of the changes can be quite challanging to accept or adapt to for sure.